RANKED CHOICE VOTING GLOSSARY
This glossary defines terms unique to RCV elections, as well as terms that frequently come up when discussing RCV elections. It is intended to be a comprehensive glossary of terms necessary for RCV but is not an all-inclusive elections glossary. If there are any other terms you think we should add, contact us at info@rcvresources.org.
A
active ballot
a ballot that counts towards a candidate in a given round of a ranked choice voting election.
Synonyms: continuing ballot
active ballot total
the accumulated number of all active ballots in a given round of a ranked choice voting election.
Synonyms: continuing ballot total
active candidate
any candidate who has not been eliminated or elected, and is not a withdrawn candidate.
Synonyms: continuing candidate
ambiguous marking
when a voter improperly fills out a ballot with the wrong writing utensil, writes on the ballot, tries to correct an error by crossing out a marking, draws arrows, circles their choice(s), or makes other similar markings.
B
ballot images
scanned images of ballots as cast by voters, captured by voting systems.
batch elimination
a procedure that can be used in ranked choice voting elections in which all candidates whose support is so low that it is mathematically impossible for them to be elected are eliminated all at once in a single round rather than one at a time in successive rounds. Only used if permitted in a jurisdiction.
Example: in a six-candidate contest with 200 votes, Candidate A has 80 votes, Candidate B has 70, and the other four combined have 50. Because those four candidates can never combine their votes to surpass Candidate B, they can be batch eliminated.
C
cast vote record
a digital record of the selections a voter made in an election as interpreted by a voting system. In RCV elections, CVRs note how every ballot marked every ranking available on that ballot. CVRs are anonymized to preserve voter privacy. CVRs are required to run the RCV round-by-round count with RCV counting software. If CVRs are not available, RCV elections must be hand-counted.
centralization
the process of collecting all election results in a single location in order to produce final, certified results. Necessary in RCV to generate round-by-round results.
column-style ballot
a variety of RCV ballots where rankings are divided into columns, one for each rank. Candidate names are repeated in each column.
counting center
a location used by election officials to count votes.
D
Droop quota
a threshold of election calculated by dividing the number of votes cast in an election (V) by the number of seats (N) to be elected plus one, or V/(N+1). The only threshold currently used in proportional RCV elections in the US.
For one candidate to be elected, the threshold is 50% + 1; for two it is 33.3% + 1; for three it is 25% + 1; and so on.
dynamic threshold
in a ranked choice voting election, a threshold of election in which the total number of votes needed to be elected can change in each round as ballots run out of valid markings and go inactive. Dynamic thresholds are determined based only on active ballots. As ballots go inactive, the number of ballots necessary to win decreases.
E
elected candidate
a candidate who has won election in an RCV contest. In single-winner RCV, the winner. In proportional RCV, one of the winners.
F
final round
the last round of counting in an RCV election.
first choice results
first choice results report each voter’s marking in the first rank section of their ballot. It does not include anything marked after that first ranking. First choice results are often the first set of unofficial results released by election officials. Reporting first choice results does not require any round-by-round counting and results are available directly out of ballot scanners.
first round
first round results report each voter’s highest ranked candidate. This will include ballots that correctly marked a first ranking. Depending on a jurisdiction’s counting rules, this can also include:
- The highest ranked candidate on ballots that did not mark the first ranking
- The highest ranked candidate on ballots that ranked multiple candidates at the first ranking
- The highest ranked candidate on ballots that ranked write-in first
These results can be generated after election officials receive data known as the cast vote record, which includes full sets of rankings voters cast in an election.
fractional surplus transfer
a method of transferring surplus votes in a proportional ranked choice voting election. Under the fractional surplus transfer method, when a candidate receives votes in excess of the threshold of election and tabulation is not complete because there are still open seats to fill, a proportional share of each vote cast for that candidate is transferred to each ballot’s next-highest ranked candidate. There are multiple kinds of fractional transfer method. The only type used in the U.S. is the Weighted Inclusive Gregory Method.
G
grid-style ballot
a variety of RCV ballot that allows voters to cast their ballots in a grid similar to that included on scantron sheets.
H
Hare method
a term for proportional ranked choice voting, usually referring to the system when using the Hare quota and whole ballot transfer.
Hare quota
a threshold for election calculated by dividing the total number of votes (V) by the total number of seats (N), or V/N.
highest-ranked active candidate
the ranking on a voter's ballot with the lowest numerical value or the next highest position in sequence for a continuing RCV contest option.
I
inactive ballot
a ballot cast in a ranked choice voting election that does not count as a vote for any candidate since the ballot has run out of valid markings.
Synonyms: exhausted ballot, non transferable total
inactive candidate
a candidate who has been eliminated from an RCV contest.
Synonyms: eliminated candidate, elimination
inactive by exhausted choices
a ballot that goes inactive after running out of rankings for candidates.
Example 1: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. They rank Candidate B first, Candidate C second, and Candidate A third. They leave the last two rankings blank. If Candidates B, C, and A are all eliminated in rounds of counting, this ballot goes inactive by exhausted choices.
Example 2: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. They rank Candidate B first, Candidate G second, Candidate A third, Candidate E fourth, and Candidate H fifth. If Candidates B, G, A, E, and H are all eliminated, this ballot goes inactive by exhausted choices.
inactive by overvote
a ballot that goes inactive due to a voter ranking multiple candidates at a given ranking opportunity. Only can occur if a jurisdiction uses a tabulation rule requiring ballots to go inactive at an overvote.
Example: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. Their jurisdiction requires ballots to go inactive when an overvote is encountered in rounds of counting. The voter ranks Candidate B first, Candidates C and A second, and Candidate G third. If Candidate B is eliminated, the ballot goes inactive due to the overvote at rank 2.
inactive by repeat rankings
a ballot that goes inactive due to a voter marking multiple rankings for the same candidate. Only occurs if a jurisdiction uses a tabulation rule requiring ballots to go inactive at a repeat ranking.
Example 1: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. They rank Candidate A first, Candidate A second, Candidate B third, and Candidate C fourth. If Candidate A is eliminated, the ballot goes inactive due to the repeat ranking at rank 2.
Example 2: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. They rank Candidate B first, Candidate D second, Candidate B third, and Candidate E fourth. If candidate B is eliminated, the ballot transfers to Candidate D. If candidate D is eliminated, the ballot goes inactive due to the repeat ranking at rank 3.
inactive by skipped rankings
a ballot that goes inactive due to a voter skipping rankings. Only occurs if a jurisdiction uses a tabulation rule requiring ballots to go inactive at skipped rankings. If a jurisdiction has a skipped ranking rule, they tend to inactivate a ballot after 2 or more consecutive skips.
Example 1: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. They rank Candidate A first, skip rankings 2, 3, and 4, and rank Candidate B fifth. If Candidate A is eliminated, the ballot goes inactive due to the consecutive skipped ranks.
Example 2: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. They rank Candidate C first, skip ranking 2, and rank Candidate D third. If Candidate C is eliminated, the ballot transfers to Candidate D. If Candidate D is eliminated, the ballot goes inactive by exhausted choices.
invalid ranking
a mis-marked ranking on an RCV ballot. Invalid rankings cannot be counted in an RCV election.
instant runoff voting (IRV)
a voting method in which voters rank the candidates in order of preference. Votes are tabulated in rounds in which candidates are eliminated and votes are transferred to voters’ next preferred candidate until a candidate emerges with a majority of votes in a round of counting.
Synonyms: Ware method
M
majority
more than half.
mathematically impossible to be elected
a candidate who, even if they receive every vote from all candidates with fewer votes than them, cannot surpass the next candidate with more votes. They can be eliminated via batch elimination. See batch elimination for an example.
mismarked ballot
a ballot with too many ovals filled in or ovals that are left blank.
N
non transferable total
ballots that include no additional valid rankings in a contest. Used in Dominion Voting Systems RCV results reports to refer to inactive ballots.
not-RCV-capable voting systems
voting systems that were not developed to design or capture RCV ballots and cannot export ballot-level cast vote records (CVRs) of those ballots. Not-RCV-capable voting systems should be replaced with RCV-capable voting systems or replaced with hand counts of RCV contests.
O
overvote
a ballot error where a voter has voted for more candidates than allowed. In a ranked choice voting election, an overvote is caused by a voter giving more than one candidate the same ranking. For example, if a voter ranks Candidate A first and also ranks Candidate B first, that is an overvote.
Frequently used to describe the error itself (an overvote) or a ballot containing the error ("that ballot is an overvote").
P
pass over
when resolving a ballot error in a ranked choice voting election, the ranking(s) with the error(s) can be ignored. This keeps the ballot in the contest for as long as there is a validly ranked active candidate.
plurality
when a candidate wins the most votes, but they do not earn a majority of votes.
proportional ranked choice voting
proportional ranked choice voting refers to the method of voting and counting of the votes for a multi-winner contest. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. Ballots are counted to determine if any candidates have enough votes to win, also known as the threshold. The threshold is determined based on the number of seats to be filled. Any candidate crossing the threshold is declared elected. If a candidate wins with more votes than they need – a surplus – any extra votes are counted proportionally towards voters’ next choices. If no candidate has a surplus, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and voters have their ballot count for their next viable preference. Transferring surplus votes and eliminating candidates continues until all seats are filled.
Synonyms: single transferable vote (stv)
proportional representation
an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
R
ranked ballot
a ballot that can be used to vote in an election conducted by ranked choice voting. Allows a voter to assign a numerical ranking to each candidate.
ranked choice voting
a voting method in which voters rank the candidates in order of preference and is tabulated in rounds in which candidates are elected or eliminated, and votes are transferred to voters’ next preferred candidate until a candidate or candidates are elected.
ranked choice voting contest
an election decided using ranked choice voting.
RCTab
formerly the RCV Universal Tabulator, RCTab is free, open-source software for tabulating ranked choice voting elections. This tabulator can take in data from any voting machine capable of exporting a cast vote record and can tabulate a single-winner ranked choice voting election according to the rules used in any current RCV city in the United States. The tabulator outputs results and an audit file for RCV elections in seconds. The tabulator is available under a BSD 2.0 License.
RCV-capable voting systems
voting systems that, either natively or after a software upgrade, can design RCV ballots, capture RCV ballots, and produce a cast vote record (CVR) compatible with at least one piece of RCV round-by-round counting software.
RCV-workaround voting systems
voting systems that were not developed to design or capture RCV ballots but can be made to capture RCV ballots and then export a ballot-level cast vote record (CVR) of those ballots. Those CVRs must be converted into a compatible format before they can be used with any round-by-round counting software.
repeat ranking
when a voter assigns more than one ranking to the same candidate.
Synonyms: duplicate ranking
residual votes
vote value lost due to rounding occurring during a fractional surplus transfer in a proportional RCV election.
round
in a ranked choice voting election, a stage of tabulation in which votes are counted, candidates are either elected or defeated, and votes for such candidates transfer to other candidates, as necessary.
round N
a particular round of counting in an RCV election.
round-by-round count
in a ranked choice voting election, the process followed to determine which candidate or candidates won seats.
round-by-round report
a document showing the round-by-round count in an election, including candidate vote totals, which candidates were elected or eliminated, and inactive vote totals in each round of counting.
S
sequential surplus transfer
in a proportional ranked choice voting election, a method that transfers surplus votes one candidate at a time in successive rounds if more than one candidate has surplus votes.
simultaneous surplus transfer
in a proportional ranked choice voting election, a method that transfers all surplus votes at once in a single round if more than one candidate has surplus votes.
single-winner ranked choice voting
single-winner ranked choice voting refers to the method of voting and counting of the votes for a contest in which only one person is elected to the position. Voters rank their candidate choices in order of preference. First choices are counted to determine if any candidate has more than 50% of the votes or if additional rounds of counting are needed to reach a majority. If additional rounds are needed, the last-place candidate is eliminated, and their voters’ ballots are transferred to their next choice. The process is repeated until someone has a majority.
skipped ranking
in a ranked choice voting election, a ranking that a voter has not assigned to any candidate followed by a ranking the voter has assigned to a candidate.
Example: A voter can rank five candidates on the ballot. They rank Candidate A first, skip rankings 2, 3, and 4, and rank Candidate B fifth. Rankings 2, 3, and 4 are skipped rankings.
spoiled ballot
a ballot that a voter opted not to cast. Voters who make a mistake on their ballot or otherwise decide not to cast a given ballot can turn that ballot over to election officials who will "spoil" the ballot (typically by marking it as spoiled and placing it in a designated bag or box) and give the voter a replacement ballot.
spoiler effect
when a losing candidate affects the results of an election by drawing support from a major candidate, allowing a third candidate to win without a majority.
static threshold
in a ranked choice voting election, a threshold of election for which the total number of votes needed to be elected remains the same in each round, even if the number of active votes changes as the rounds progress.
surplus fraction
the proportion of each vote to be transferred when surplus votes are transferred.
surplus votes
in an election conducted by a proportional, multi-winner form of ranked choice voting, votes that a candidate receives that are over the threshold of election.
T
tabulation
the process of counting votes in an election.
tie
when two or more candidates receive the same number of votes in a given round.
tiebreaking by lot
a randomized process for breaking ties. Options include drawings from a hat, drawing cards from a deck, or drawing straws. Standard tiebreaking process in US elections.
tiebreaking by previous round totals (forward looking)
a process for breaking ties that reviews previous round vote totals. If two candidates are tied in an RCV election, check previous rounds to see if either candidate had more votes in that round. Forward looking begins by checking the first round of counting. If candidates are still tied in that round, move to the next round. If candidates are still tied, continue through rounds until one candidate receives more votes in a given round, or, if candidates remain tied throughout the contest break the tie by lot.
tiebreaking by previous round totals (backward looking)
a process for breaking ties that reviews previous round vote totals. If two candidates are tied in an RCV election, check previous rounds to see if either candidate had more votes in that round. Backward looking begins by checking the immediately previous round of counting. If candidates are still tied in that round, move to the next earlier round. If candidates are still tied, continue through rounds until the tie is broken, or, if candidates remain tied in the first round, break the tie by lot.
threshold of election
in a ranked choice voting election, the number of votes a candidate must reach or exceed in order to be elected.
Synonyms: quota, threshold
transfer value
the portion of a vote for an elected candidate that is transferred to a voter’s next choice in a fractional surplus transfer method.
U
undervote
an instance where a voter votes for fewer than the maximum number of candidates allowed or does not vote in a contest at all. In a ranked choice voting election, a ballot on which a voter makes no rankings.
undeclared write-in
when a voter writes in a name for someone who has not filed any paperwork officially declaring themselves to be a candidate for that office.
V
valid ranking
a properly marked ranking opportunity on an RCV ballot. Valid rankings can be counted in an RCV election.
voting equipment
hardware such as ballot scanners or ballot marking devices used to conduct an election. Sometimes used interchangeably with voting system.
Synonyms: voting machines
voting method
a set of rules that determines how elections are conducted and how their results are determined.
voting system
the whole set of voting equipment (including hardware, firmware, and software), materials, and documentation used to mark ballots or otherwise cast votes, count votes, calculate and report results, generate reports and records, and perform other tasks relating to the election and its procedures. Sometimes used interchangeably with voting equipment.
W
whole ballot transfer
a method of transferring surplus votes in a proportional ranked choice voting election. Under the whole ballot transfer method, the surplus votes cast for a candidate over the threshold of election are transferred by randomly selecting a number of ballots counting as votes for that candidate equal to the number of surplus votes that candidate has in excess of the threshold of election and transferring them to each ballot’s next-ranked candidate. There are multiple types of whole ballot transfer methods. The only type used in the U.S. is the Cincinnati/Andrae method.
Weighted Inclusive Gregory Method (WIGM)
a type of surplus transfer method in a proportional ranked choice voting election. In WIGM, all ballots cast for a winner with surplus votes transfer a portion of their vote to the next candidate ranked on each ballot. See fractional surplus transfer.
write-in
a vote cast by writing in the name of a candidate.
Sources consulted: VVSG 2.0, Black’s Law Dictionary 8th ed., FairVote Glossary, FairVote Model RCV Statute, https://arxiv.org/pdf/2207.14394.pdf; Internal RCVRC Glossary; NIST 1500-107 Glossary